2,6-diacetylpyridine has been prepared from reaction of pyridine 2,6-dicarboxylic acid diethyl ester and ethyl acetate in the presence of sodium ethoxide, ethanol and xylene. See Lukes, et al., Collect. Czech Chem. Commun. 24:36 (1959). A 55% to 57% yield for this reaction is reported by Terentew, et al., Zh. Vses. Khim. Ova im. D. I. Mendeleeva 6:116 (1961) (Abstract), CAOLD Abstract CA 55:144501. An analogous, presently commercial, multi-step synthesis is generally illustrated by Equation 1: 
2,6-diacetylpyridine in about 50% yield may be extracted by solvent exchange from the reaction mixture.
Yamamoto, Chem. Pharm. Bull. 43:1028-1030 (1995) reports a 59% yield of 2,6-diacetylpyridine by reaction of 2,6-bis(trimethyl stannyl) pyridine with 2-oxo-propenyl chloride. Reaction of 2,6-pyridine carbonyl chloride with methyl lithium in the presence of CuI at −78° C. in THF is said to provide a 93% yield of 2,6-diacetylpyridine. Jiang, et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 37(6):797-800 (1996). Organocupritic intermediates decompose rapidly if a uniform low temperature, impractical in a large reactor, is not maintained.
There is a need for a cost effective synthesis free of low temperature parameters that provides a high yield of 2,6-diacetylpyridine in a reaction mixture which may but need not be used directly in further syntheses.